Ancient hair loss remedy

Hair Loss Medications

Hair Loss Drugs

How many times have you looked online and found an advertisement for a hair loss remedy? Did you see articles about lasers? How about all natural herbal extracts? The hair loss industry as a whole is worth billions of pounds but the truth of the matter is that there are only two hair loss treatments that are proven to work.

There are only two hair loss treatments that are proven to work

Minoxidil

The first of these two medications is called minoxidil and is commonly known as Regaine as it’s marketing name. This medication was first approved in the United States in 1988 and was originally available in a 2% topical solution. When applied to the scalp it was shown to slow and even stop hair loss in some patients and in a smaller percentage of patients some regrowth was observed. Nine years later a more potent version was approved with a 5% minoxidil content and with an impressive re-growth rate of up to 45%. Minoxidil was originally marketed toward men but eventually a version for women was released which is a 2% solution.

Minoxidil is the only medication that can be prescribed for women as the potential side effects with finasteride ( the second approved medication) are too severe and are even considered to be dangerous.

Finasteride

Finasteride is the first oral medication approved to fight hair loss. It is the active ingredient in Propecia which gained FDA approval in 1997 and comes in a 1mg dosage. It is more effective than minoxidil in that it has shown effectiveness for approximately 67% of those that take the medication. Subsequent studies have shown and even greater response rate.

Proscar is the original version of finasteride and was originally released to combat BPH (benign prostate hyperplasia). This is a condition caused by DHT that enlarges the prostate in older males. Finasteride in all forms helps to prevent the formation of DHT so with regards to prostate health Proscar is quite effective. Many doctors will prescribe Proscar (5mg) for hair loss with the instructions to quarter the tablet with a pill cutter. This is more cost effective for the patient, provides proven results for hair loss sufferers and prevents the need for generic medications.

Generic finasteride is also available but it is generally considered to be inconsistent with regards to efficacy. Dr. Lupanzula recommends name brand Propecia or Proscar only so as to eliminate the potential of such inconsistencies.

Many people look at hair loss medications as something they shouldn’t worry about if they have a hair transplant but nothing could be further from the truth. When considering hair restoration it is imperative to at least consider taking medication because hair transplantation does not prevent your remaining hair from being affected by DHT. Hair loss will continue and if you are not taking medication to fight this guaranteed future hair loss then you are setting yourself up for more hair restoration. Dr. Lupanzula and the team at Medikemos wish for their patients for patients to understand this inevitability and they will educate you as much as possible about this very important issue but in the end, if you decide against medication, Dr. Lupanzula may have to alter your hair restoration plan.